Lawyer shot dead in SAS Nagar over parking issue

A young lawyer was killed while two others were injured in firing over parking of vehicles in Phase 3A of SAS Nagar on Wednesday night.

Two persons were detained by police after the firing and were in the process of registering a case at Mataur police station at the time of filing of report.

Police said that around 10 rounds were fired and a .22mm or .9mm bore firearm could have been used in the firing that occurred at around 8.30pm.

The deceased was identified as Amarpreet Singh alias Lucky, aged about 32, and the injured as his cousin Gaganjot who had returned from Australia to attend a wedding in family and the latter's friend Simarjeet of Sector 36, Chandigarh.

Police said the firing took place after Amarpreet and Gaganjot objected to parking of vehicles outside their gate. Amarpreet was nephew of former MC councillor Manjeet Singh Sethi, also a practicing lawyer. Gaganjot is Sethi's son.

Police said Amarpreet had objected to parking of SUVs with VIP numbers outside his house by a group of youths who had come to visit their friends staying as paying guests two houses away. As Amarpreet asked them to park the vehicles at some other place, the youths argued with him and Gaganjot. They left the spot in their vehicles but returned with more youths and fired at Amarpreet and Gaganjot.

Amarpreet received three bullet injuries in the chest and died on the spot while Gaganjot and his friend suffered one bullet injury each. One bullet hit a car parked nearby. Amarpreet was declared brought dead while the injured were admitted in a private hospital and operated upon.

Neighbours said that a minor argument had taken place on Tuesday night also on the parking issue.

PG run by PSEB employeeHouse number 282, 3A, where the youths who allegedly attacked Amarpreet were staying as paying guests is owned by Janak Raj, an employee of Punjab school education board. He said that he had rented a room to Rajat and Vishal from Ludhiana, who were studying in Rayat and Bahra college of law, about a month back. Many youths in SUVs bearing VIP numbers used to visit them regularly, he added.

Two detained from PG accomodationTwo persons staying in the paying guest accommodation were rounded up for their alleged involvement in the firing. Police also seized chequebooks, a passport, a mobile phone, laptop and a sharp-edged weapon from the room. Police also towed away two vehicles, including a Ford Endevour and a Skoda even as the assailant fled in a Bolero.

Firing brings illegal PGs' issue to foreThe fatal shooting of a lawyer has again brought to the fore the menace of illegal paying guest accommodations thriving in SAS Nagar. Though Greater Mohali Area Development Authority had framed a policy to rein in illegal PGs, but it is yet to be implemented. GMADA had sent a list of illegal PGs to SAS Nagar deputy commissioner to seek police assistance to seal these unregistered PGs but nothing has been done so far.